Five regular guys best Pats in Dodgeballin for Charity

Sunday

Apr 28, 2013 at 12:01 AM

FALL RIVER — It is a story they will probably tell their grandchildren.

CURT BROWN

FALL RIVER — It is a story they will probably tell their grandchildren.

Team PieZoni's — a group of five regular guys from Fall River and Somerset — defeated a band of five professional athletes from the New England Patriots at Saturday's third annual Dodgeballin For Charity event at B.M.C. Durfee High School.

This year's event benefitted four worthy groups — the Children's Museum of Greater Fall River, the Boys and Girls Club of Fall River, Fall River's middle school sports program and the children who were injured in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Team PieZoni said the Patriots players — Brandon Bolden, Alfonzo Dennard, Ryan Mallett, Jerod Mayo and Stevan Ridley — called them out as the first team to face.

"It was close all the time," Jesse Rubio, 23, of Fall River said of the action. "We were just going back and forth."

At the end, it was just Rubio and All-Pro linebacker Mayo.

"I don't know about him, but I was exhausted at the end," Rubio said.

He said he thought he hit Mayo in the leg, but the referee did not see it. Rubio said he quickly fired a second ball while Mayo looked "distracted" and this time he got him.

Team PieZoni, who are all big Patriots fans, said the whole experience was a blast.

"It was great just to play them," Rubio said.

"It was an adrenaline rush," said Miguel Ortega, 23, of Fall River.

Rubio said his brother took video of the game with the Patriots. "I can't wait to put that on Facebook," he said.

But they wish they had bet that if Team PieZoni won, the Patriots would have come down to the restaurant for pizza.

Robert Costa Jr., a 2012 UMass Dartmouth graduate and the founder and director of the charity event, was thrilled with this year's event, especially given the Patriots' participation.

"Unbelievable. We couldn't have asked for anything more," he said.

Last year's event raised $14,500 and Costa said he expects they will raise "at least" that much this year.

The proceeds come from corporate sponsorships, registrations and admission.

The event also provided students in a sports marketing class at UMass Dartmouth with some hands-on experience at organizing and promoting.

Colleen Moriarty, a UMD student from Canton, said they advertised and promoted the event on Facebook and Twitter and contacted newspapers about publicity.